Angel Ears
by Nintendo Nut1
Summary: Poor Link. It's his first SSB tournament, and constantly picked on for his ethnicity. Only one other is willing to give him a hand of comfort... But one is all he needs. PG13 for... disturbing things... yeah...


A/N: Time for another one-shot! Yay! Inspiration hit me so hard I had to get an ice pack. (cringe) I thought about Link and his pretty elf ears. . . He's always teased about his tunic, but what about his ethnicity? So, I wrote this. It turned out a lot more angst-y than it was supposed to, but I like how it turned out. I hope you enjoy it! Oh, and it's in Samus' POV. :D  
  
Angel Ears  
  
I remember the first Super Smash Bros. Tournament. I remember it well. Not because of the battles, the glory, or even Mario's victory as champion. No, it was that one person. I remember Link.  
  
Or, as I like to call him, Angel Ears.  
  
How did he get that name, you ask? Well, it's a long story, one I never get tired of.  
  
It was the very first of our gatherings. None of us had ever met each other before, with a few exceptions of fighters who came from the same land. No two fighters looked even remotely the same (except, of course, for Mario and Luigi, but they were brothers). When I saw the wide variety of species, I thought there'd be no discrimination, no insults or racist judgment.  
  
But I was wrong. There was a selective group of fighters who felt it amusing to constantly pick on one single, innocent young man.  
  
And this is where Link comes into the story.  
  
When I first saw him, I thought he was a dream. Unlike many of the small, scrawny fighters, he was a tall, handsome young man. Beautiful, shimmering bangs fell over his pale face, golden as the sun. His large, crystal blue eyes seemed mysterious, yet clear and innocent as a child's. He seemed nice enough, but he was so misunderstood. . .  
  
Today, he's quite a social person, but during the first few months, he was extremely reclusive and quiet. He was the one who stood against the wall, apart from the rest, the one who sat alone at meal times in the cafeteria. He was a listener, not one for much words, and only spoke when he felt it absolutely necessary to. He was avoided the first couple of days, before the insults came.  
  
He reminded me of myself. I was the only female fighter there at the time, yet most couldn't tell. I always kept my armor on, so one saw my face for a long time, which was fine by me.  
  
Link was obviously much different from everyone else, and two dunderheads named Donkey Kong and Captain Falcon felt he was the perfect target for their immature insults.  
  
His choice of clothing was one target. He wore a forest green tunic with a white shirt and white tights underneath. This aggravated DK and Falcon to no end, and they constantly attacked him, calling it a dress, skirt, or kilt.  
  
His swordsmanship was another. On the battle arenas, his choice of combat was with a sword and shield. It was perfectly okay according to the guidelines, but DK and Falcon, being the macho-meatheads, felt that swords were cheap, and so were anyone who wield one. So, they teased him about that too, calling him a weakling, cheapshot, and so on.  
  
But the worst insults were the ones directed at his ears.  
  
Those ears of his, long and pointy, stuck out as clear as day. When I first noticed them, Link suddenly reminded me of those fantasy stories with elves and fairies. He later admitted he was a Hylian, a certain type of elf.  
  
This brought about many insults and names: "Elf-boy," "Point-ears," and worst of all. . .  
  
Freak.  
  
Link brushed off most of their stupid insults, but being called a "freak" hit him hard. He'd become submissive, or would simply leave the room to be alone. The more he was called a freak, the quieter he became, and the more hurt his eyes looked to the point where he looked simply depressed everyday. To make matters worse, Falcon called him a freak quite frequently, only speeding up the process. If this kept up without attention, Link would've become a mute, and nothing would ever change him back.  
  
Thankfully, he had a friend.  
  
Fox McCloud claimed to have known Link's pain, and did what he could to comfort the elf. It was extremely kind of him, to help Link in his predicament. Of course, it made me completely sickened with myself. I stood there every day, watching Link get verbally attacked, and I did absolutely nothing about it. Why? Because I didn't want to be teased myself. I knew the second I even looked concerned, I knew the two would turn their harassing at me. Pride made me stay quiet, only to wither in self-guilt.  
  
Fox didn't care, though. He was insulted from time to time, but he would not desert his friend's side. He always told Link to just, "Ignore those jerks. They have no right to make fun of you like this. But if you ignore them, they'll eventually stop."  
  
It was an honest-to-god effort to comfort Link, but it didn't work. The insults failed to cease, and the slow spiral down to depression continued.  
  
One day, it got so far, Falcon called him a "demon." It was "just a joke," he claimed, but Link took his "joke" quite seriously, and locked himself in his dorm for three days, refusing to come out. When they finally managed to get a locksmith to open the door, they found Link unconscious. He had fainted from hunger just an hour before.  
  
Falcon got a serious scolding from many of the others after that, but Fox really chewed him out.  
  
"You nearly KILLED him!! How could you DO such a thing!? Don't you ever think at ALL about others' feelings before you open your big, fat, mouth!?!?"  
  
"I wasn't the one who locked myself up. . ." Falcon grumbled under his breath.  
  
He was later forced to apologize to Link, but he was not sincere, and Link knew it. He didn't have enough energy to care, though.  
  
Soon after that, Link was more withdrawn than ever. Not even Fox could talk to him anymore. He lost the will to do anything, save fighting. It seemed to take his mind off things, as he'd found practicing alone if he was not in his dorm.  
  
Still, he behaviors began to worry most of us. There were times when he wouldn't even appear for his meals, and Fox would have to take it to him. Mario went with, for he claimed to be a doctor. Every night, the two would come back into the lounge, and Mario would shake his head and sigh, "He's just getting worse and worse. . ."  
  
I knew he didn't mean physically. Link was perfectly fit enough to fight. No, he meant internally. Link had emotional wounds nothing could heal. We had all lost hope of him ever going back to the way he was.  
  
And then the tournament came.  
  
Good, I thought, Maybe the heat of the tournament would keep Link sane. . .  
  
At first, it looked like it would work. He won a few rounds, and little by little, it seemed like he was slowly crawling out of the pit of depression he was stuck in. It would take time, but I knew it WAS possible.  
  
Then he lost in the fourth round to Falcon. Naturally, Falcon boasted (as usual) over his win.  
  
"OH, YEAH!!! I WON!! I BEAT LINK!!! WOOHOO!!!"  
  
Link trembled like a volcano as he scowled viciously at Falcon. If looks could kill, it's be overkill. Finally, his temper erupted, and he screamed, "DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO RUB IT IN MY FACE!?!?!?!?"  
  
Falcon was stunned silent. Link then turned on his heel and stormed away towards his dorm. The others exchanged hesitated glances, as if waiting for something to happen. I couldn't take it anymore, so I followed him.  
  
I knew he would lock his door again, so I went to my dorm first and got his keys. I admit I sneaked them out, but only to protect him in case he locked himself up again. When I approached his door, before I opened it, I could hear his shaky voice talking to himself, softly trying to assure himself. . .  
  
"Okay. . . One slash and it's over. . . One slash. . ."  
  
No! I thought. He's going to kill himself!  
  
I hastily threw the door open only to look in and see worse.  
  
Link faced the mirror and held the tip of his ear in one hand. The other, shaky hand held his sword behind his head. He was about to cut his ears off!!  
  
"NO!! Link, STOP!!" My cry startled him, and he dropped the sword. I ran over and grabbed it before he could, and held him back when he tried to reach for it.  
  
"NO!! GIVE IT BACK!!!" he shouted.  
  
"NO!! You can't just cut off your ears!"  
  
"WELL, WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!?!?" he wailed. "THEY WON'T STOP UNLESS I. . .!"  
  
"Calm down, dammit, CALM DOWN!!!"  
  
Finally, he stopped struggling and looked up at me as if pleading for help. For the first time in a while, I looked straight into his eyes.  
  
The shine in them was almost gone. They looked scared and hurt, like an abused child. They pleaded for help and peace from the pain he had gone through. He softly whimpered like a wounded beast, "I-I just want it to stop. . ."  
  
"I know, I know," I released my grip on his trembling hand. "But cutting your ears off won't help! You can't just hide what you really are!"  
  
"W-what about you!?" He pointed an accusing finger. "You always hide beneath all that armor! Why!?"  
  
That one-worded question left me silent. It was a question that was always asked, but it didn't seem important until now. And. . . I couldn't answer.  
  
"I. . . I don't have a reason. . ." I admitted. Link must've not expected such an answer, for he looked at me oddly. "But you're right. I can't keep this on forever."  
  
And I did what I was afraid to do before. But this time I wasn't so afraid. I removed my helmet and let my sandy blonde hair flop down. I heard Link gasp in shock, but didn't look up at him until I finished. I reached back and pressed a switch, and my body suit folded up and flopped to the floor. Thankfully, I had a white tank top and pants under the suit.  
  
I finally looked up at Link. He looked shocked and dazzled at the same time. I could see a little bit of the shine return in his eyes, and was glad for it. He looked at me from head to toe, then breathed, "You're. . . beautiful. . ."  
  
"Don't you see!? Look at what I've been hiding all this time! Do you want to do the same? Do you want to hide your elfin identity just because of teasing!?"  
  
Link stared at me for what seemed like ages before he shook his head.  
  
"Okay," I picked up the sword. "Then can I give you your sword knowing you won't hack off your ears?"  
  
Link nodded and took the sword into his hands. He stared at it, then grabbed the tattered sheath and slipped in the sword, placing it on the desk as if it was the hardest thing he had to do.  
  
I knew what that stare meant. He wanted it so badly to end, to be free of the pain. Then I noticed his eyes were dry. Perhaps he could let the anguish go. . .  
  
"Link. . ." He turned back to me uncertainly. "I know you're hurt. I know how you can soothe the pain, though."  
  
The elf inclined his head in question.  
  
"There are tears behind your eyes. I can see them. Yet you refuse to let them go." He opened his mouth to speak, but I put a finger to his lips, stopping him. "No, you don't need to explain. I understand. But no one is here now. So, I'll just lock the door. . ." He didn't move as I clicked the door shut. ". . . And you can let it all go. All the suffering you've endured, just, let it go. Release your agony."  
  
Link still looked hesitant. He stared at the floor, then whispered, "You won't. . . tell anyone. . .?"  
  
"Of course not. Go ahead."  
  
And with that, he wrapped his arms around me and let out his sadness with tears and sobs. We moved near the bed and sat down. As the unwept tears came, I comforted him like a mother does to her child. "There, that's it. . . Let it all go. . . Don't hold any back. . ."  
  
His cries became louder, but I stayed with him the whole time. I didn't care how long it would last. We could've sat there all day for all I cared, as long as Link released every last tear.  
  
We must've sat on that bed for a good hour or so. Two months of sorrow were released in just one hour.  
  
Finally, the sobs were reduced to soft sniffs, and Link drew away, grabbing a tissue and dabbing his damp eyes dry.  
  
"Feel any better?"  
  
Link sniffed and nodded, looking back up at me.  
  
"Good. That's the first step of your recovery. We'll help you get through the rest, alright?"  
  
Once again, he nodded, but refused to crack a smile. I always noticed he never smiled much, but if I could get him to smile now. . .  
  
"If it makes you feel any better. . ." I took his shaky hands in mine. "I don't think you're a freak, much less a 'demon.'"  
  
He cracked a tiny smile for a split-second, but it quickly faded. Almost. . .  
  
"In fact, when I look at your ears. . ." I reached up with a hand and gently caressed one of his elf ears, from the tip down to the cold, sterling silver earring. "These long, tapered ears. . . I think not of devil's horns, but of wings. . . Angel wings. . ."  
  
He stared back, eyes wide with shock.  
  
"That's right, angel wings. . . You with your golden halo. . ." I softly held a piece of his golden bangs. I looked over to the nightstand to see his small, blue ocarina. And grabbed it. Before, sometimes when I passed by his room, I could hear him playing this small wind instrument, producing lovely music, probably to calm himself. I placed the ocarina in his hands. "And your heavenly music. . . And your good spirit. You're not a demon. . . You're an angel. . . 'Angel-Ears. . .'"  
  
Link looked at me, too shocked for words. Finally, his lips curled up in a grateful smile for the very first time, and it fit his handsome face well. He was smiling for me, and it was the most beautiful thing I ever saw.  
  
He pulled me into a tight embrace and whispered, "Thank you so much, Samus. . ."  
  
That phrase made my heart flutter. I realized how I was helping him, something I was too proud to do before. But here I was, extending my hand in comfort, and it made me feel so much better. The guilt was lifted off my shoulders just as the grief was lifted off him.  
  
It took two months to bring Link down, and only an hour to bring him back up. An hour and a few therapy sessions, that's all he needed. But when it was over, he was more than back to normal. He spoke more, smiled more, and his self-esteem and social personality were through the roof. After finding out that Link was now impervious to his insults, Falcon stopped.  
  
I changed too. Inspired by his miraculous recovery from depression, I stopped wearing my suit all the time to the point where I only wore it for fighting. I was no longer afraid to express myself anymore, and neither was Link.  
  
Just a while ago, we all thought Link would never make it, but here he was alive, happy, engaged to Princess Zelda, and always optimistic. Nothing would ever bring him down again. The sparkle in his eyes returned.  
  
After all this time, me and him are still great friends. After reflecting back to this, we adapted an appropriate nickname for the born- again elf. The elf who had died in the world of depression and came into a world of optimism, a heaven of all heavens, like an angel.  
  
My little Angel Ears.  
  
THE END  
  
A/N: Well? Wonderful? Terrible? No, I didn't mean there to be ANY romance between Link and Samus. They were just comfort hugs, I swear! O.O;; Kinda angst-y for me, but I liked writing it. And I hope you enjoyed it! Review, of Wolfie will GET YOU!! MWAHAHA!!!  
  
Wolfie: -.-;;; 


End file.
